


In the Grand Scheme of Things

by RobinsonsWereHere



Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Cuddling, Family Feels, Gen, Guilt, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Post-Canon, expect a lot from me about them over the next few days, karen and iris need more love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-18 16:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21580402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinsonsWereHere/pseuds/RobinsonsWereHere
Summary: In the grand scheme of things, Iris shoplifting doesn't really matter that much.Post-movie, Iris confides in her mother about the difficulties she'd faced when she tried to make friends.
Relationships: Iris Vick & Karen Vick
Comments: 8
Kudos: 5





	In the Grand Scheme of Things

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, I love Iris and Karen so much. Like, if you've read my stuff you know how much I love shules, but I came out of that movie more excited about Karen and Iris than about the shules wedding.That's how excited I am about these two.

Karen lies awake, an hour after she and Iris had turned off the cheesy rom-com and called it a night. Every time she closes her eyes, she hears the beep of the time bomb, hears Iris crying from behind the duct tape, sees the dank hallways of Alcatraz behind her eyelids.

Groaning, she flops onto her side, burying her face in her pillow. Of course Richard has to be on a damn business trip. Meanwhile, she just lies here, feeling like an absolutely horrible mother. Her daughter had gotten kidnapped, for christ’s sake-- she’s the chief of police, she’s not supposed to let that happen!

But no, she’d just _had_ to get back in the game. She’d had to go with Shawn and Gus, insist on joining their foolish hunt for O’Hara’s nemesis. Karen knows, without a doubt, that her ill-advised need for adventure is what had almost gotten Iris killed.

She’s swallowing around a lump in her throat when a knock comes at the bedroom door.

“Come in, sweetie,” she calls, because it’s Iris, of course, who else could it be? Sure enough, her daughter comes in, her sparkly, rainbow pajamas at odds with the look on her face. Karen sits up in bed and opens her arms, holding Iris close once she joins her.

“Mom, I need to tell you something,” Iris mumbles.

Karen kisses her hair. “What is it, sweetheart?”

“There are-- there are some girls at school, Mom,” Iris says. “I… I guess they’re not really nice, but everyone likes them anyway, and I wanted them to like me, too.”

Even with everything that’s happened that night, Karen’s chest still seizes protectively at the thought of Iris being bullied. Oh, she’ll give those girls a piece of her mind…

“They said I could be friends with them,” Iris continues, her face still buried Karen’s shoulder. “But I had to help them first. I had to pass their tests.”

“Oh, Iris,” Karen sighs softly, “what happened?” She feels her daughter begin to shake, and rubs her back slowly, comfortingly.

“They all wear a specific makeup brand. They all have the new iPhone. They all wear super cute dresses… they said I should, too. They told me it was okay that they were too expensive for me, I’d just have to-- have to take them.”

Karen freezes. _Oh, dear god._

“They told me where to go, when the security guards would be busy, how to avoid the cameras. I knew-- I knew it was wrong but they started being really nice to me…” Iris sniffles. “I almost did it. I almost got away with it but-- but Juliet caught me.” Only now does she look up at Karen. “Please don’t get her in trouble, I begged her not to tell you, because I knew that if I got caught, and-- and arrested, it would look really bad for you, especially since you might become police commissioner--”

Karen cuts her off with a near-crushing hug before she can finish the sentence. “Iris. _Iris._ You have picked the one night of your life on which I do not give a damn about shoplifting.”

“Really?”

Karen nods. “Really. You gave everything back?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And you’re not going to hang around those girls?”

“Definitely not. They tried to call me but I told them to buzz off and that everyone knows Ashley stuffs her bra.”

Karen chuckles. “As long as you don’t do it again, I think we can overlook it for now. No harm, no foul.”

Iris sighs in relief. “Hey, Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Can I sleep in here with you tonight?”

Karen lays back , sinking into her pillows with her daughter still in her arms. “Absolutely, Iris. You don’t even have to ask.”

“I love you, Mom,” Iris mumbles, starting to cry again.

Karen sighs heavily. “I love you too.”

She knows she can’t stop the nightmares, can’t erase Iris’ memories of Alcatraz. But she can hold her, and kiss her hair, and wipe away her tears. For now, that’s enough. 

A mother’s love is always enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I love to get comments and kudos, and you can also find me at @trixiesfranklin on tumblr! Let me know what you thought!


End file.
